Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico has refused to apologize for his controversial social media posts, which suggested that white people spread the "virus of racism" by their actions and words. The posts were made after the fatal shooting of a black jogger, and were part of a larger thread about the responsibility of all parties to combat racism. Despite these statements being taken out of context and some would change their meaning, Talaric maintains his belief in racism and the responsibility to combat it. He also expressed extreme left-wing views on education issues and a hostility towards the Second Amendment.